SEO vs. AdWords – Which is the Best Option?

SEO vs. AdWords – Which is the best option for you?

If you are just starting to venture into the world of online marketing, or if you are looking for a way to increase your online reach, you need to give some serious thought to whether you should be investing more of your time and money into SEO or if you should be going the Google AdWords route instead.

While both options are fantastic for getting your business name out there, often one will work better than the other, based on the needs and the nature of your business. Should you find yourself trying your best to weigh up these two options, here’s a helpful guide to get you going.

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Which is the better between SEO and AdWords?

SEO – The “Unpaid” Way to Market Online

For many years, SEO has been one of the preferred ways for smaller start up types and larger companies alike to reach new clients. Search Engine Optimisation is often punted as the unpaid version of digital marketing, but it is only given this reputation because you are not paying a cent to Google.

When it comes to SEO, you are either doing it the hard way by teaching yourself how to optimise your website or you are paying a marketing agency to do it for you, so either way you are paying something for the work to be done.

Search Engine Optimisation is a combination of once off work and ongoing work. It consists of content, of technical titbits, and of continuous backlinking and blogging.

Why is it worth the investment?

In many ways, SEO is the gift that keeps on giving. While it can take up to 6 months for you to start seeing results, once you do, your phone is not going to stop ringing. SEO gets you found online, and it is something that can carry on working for you long after you stop working on it.

The return on investment is high when it comes to SEO and since there are so many agencies offering so many SEO package options, it is really easy to find someone suitable.

Chances are always good that if you work with a good SEO company and you target the right kind of keywords, you will increase your chances of making money.

How does it work?

SEO works with search engines which means you can see SEO in action when you type a keyword into Google and get presented with great search results. Aside from backlinks, most of the work is done on the site itself, with the person doing the SEO making sure that they comply with the industry’s best practices to ensure that the website ranks well.

Generally, there is a lot of work involved, and most of that work needs to be done by an actual person as opposed to letting AI handle things.

Google AdWords – Paid for Online Advertising

Google AdWords can proudly boast a lot of success. Such ads are the instant solution for getting on the first page of the Google search engine and generally, Google will put the ad right at the top of the page ensuring that the website is easily noticed.

Unlike SEO, you need to have a strict budget that you will need to keep on replenishing as the ad campaign progresses. You are basically paying for every click that the ad gets and since you are right at the top, you are going to get a lot of clicks in a day, meaning the ad will eventually run out of steam.

Like SEO, Google AdWords is completely based on keywords, and there is a little bit of content involved as well. Overall, though, you are not going to be putting in as much effort with your Google AdWords as you would with your SEO.

Why is it worth the investment?

It is really all about that instant marketing satisfaction. With SEO, there is lots of work involved and then after that you will be waiting a good long while to see the effects of the SEO in action. With Google AdWords, the effect is pretty much instant, which means that as soon as the ad goes live, your website will instantly appear on the first page and as a result you will start getting leads, if all goes well.

How does it work?

Google makes it easy to get an ad up and running. The person running the ad will need to have a Google account and then they can create an ad according to the layout (and the rules) that Google provides. You will need to choose a daily budget as well as the maximum amount you’d like to pay per click, and then you will also need to add the keywords you want the ad to target. If you get stuck, you will even have the option of working with someone at Google who will be able to guide you.

So, which option is best?

Ultimately, sometimes the best option is a blend of both. Marketing is all about experimenting and so it is always a good idea to try a bit of everything to see what works best for your company.

If you liked this article you might also be interested in, how to create the best backlink strategy, and, the importance of finding quality backlinks for SEO.